Chuze Fitness Opens First of Three "Gyms for the Rest of Us" in Westminster

A new “gym for the rest of us” has moved into the metro fitness market, bringing low prices, a movie theater and an intimidation-free zone.Chuze Fitness recently opened the first of three planned Colorado locations in Westminster; all promise to break free of the typical “big-box gym concept.”

For starters, Bryan Brown, general manager of the Westminster spot, says that Chuze Fitness isn’t Planet Fitness. “When I think of Planet Fitness, I thought they had a really good business model, but I think we’ve improved, especially by way of amenities,” he adds, pointing to the Westminster club’s pool, jacuzzi and Chuze Cinema, the cardio-trademarked room featuring a full-theater movie experience. “But, really, it’s about our atmosphere. We want everyone to just be comfortable and feel at home with us, and we’ve gone above and beyond when it comes to service-based attitude.”

Chuze Cinema: movies and cardio.

Adam Larkey

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Melissa Sowell, chief administration officer and director of human resources at Chuze Fitness, echoes Brown’s comments, saying that all sixteen of the Chuze Fitness locations across the country strive to be as welcoming as possible. “We truly want to know your name and assure you that there really is no judgment here,” Sowell says. “We teach customer-service training to everyone, and even our Group X instructors — who may only be working an hour or two a week — have their own culture trainings so that no one is ever made to feel unwelcome.”

The Chuze Fitness motto is “Less Attitude, More Fitness,” Sowell notes, and guests can do the workout of their choice through three levels of membership. The basic membership grants access to the Chuze Cinema and a complimentary team-training session for $9.99 per month; the premium membership costs $19.99 a month, grants access to all amenities and adds weekend guest privileges to the team-training session; the “MORE” membership is $1 to join and $39.99 monthly, and includes everything in the lower levels, plus unlimited guest privileges and child care for up to two children.

"Less Attitude, More Fitness."

Adam Larkey

Though the Denver fitness market is highly competitive, Sowell says that the company’s dedication to cleanliness, customer service and its price point — which Chuze has held since inception — will make it stand out. “We’ve been looking at the Denver market for a while, and Colorado is a great state to expand into,” she explains. “The people are friendly and it’s a very active demographic. Naturally, there are some competitors here, but there’s a place for all of us. We just wanted to be a part of this.”

Chuze Fitness at 8601 Sheridan Boulevard in Westminster boasts a 38,000-square-foot gym, more than 100 cardio machines, an indoor lap pool and hydromassage, among other amenities and classes. The California-based chain plans to open two more Colorado locations — in Thornton and Littleton — later this year. Visit chuzefitness.com for more information.

Lauren is a contributor for Westword's arts and music sections, most often writing about beards and other hairy situations. She splits her time between handling the communications for a local nonprofit and writing for anywhere that will let her fangirl over early 2000s pop punk.